Supermarket plan for Maidens pub site

A supermarket is set to open on the site of the former Maidens pub in Shinfield Road.

Sainsbury’s is set to open on the site of the former Maidens pub in Shinfield Road

A supermarket is set to open on the site of the former Maidens pub in Shinfield Road.

The pub closed down some weeks ago and Sainsbury’s has confirmed it wants to open one of its Local stores on the site.

Some neighbours say the shop is not wanted, but others hope it will attract more business to the shopping area, which suffered long traffic queues after a new road system was introduced.

Planning legislation allows retailers to convert disused pubs without planning permission, but Sainsbury’s has had to apply to Reading Borough Council for the installation of a cash machine.

A Tesco Express already operates across the road in Whiteknights Retail Centre and there is a Premier convenience store nearby.

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, fears the store would be open late and cause a nuisance.

She said: “Whiteknights shopping centre is a well catered and established shopping centre for the local residents in and around Shinfield Road. Morrisons and Asda are also less than five minutes’ drive away.

“In addition, Sainsbury’s propose an ATM, which again is already catered for in the Whiteknights shopping centre, with their hours of business from 6am to midnight selling alcohol.

“I feel this would only lead to potential alcohol-fuelled noise in a settled and quiet residential area.”

She also fears extra customers will make the traffic situation even worse on an already busy junction.

Kim Maysh, the owner of The Village Barbers, was among the traders who suffered when traffic lights replaced roundabouts at two junctions on Shinfield Road in 2010, causing gridlock.

She said: “For us, I think it will encourage people in and there will be people working in there.

“The traffic lights drove people away from the area, maybe Sainsbury’s will bring them back.”

A Sainsbury’s spokeswoman said its Local stores normally employed 20 to 25 people, but it was too early to say when it hoped to open the branch.

Church ward councillor Tim Harris said he had only heard from one resident about the application.

He said: “I’m very concerned about all the different pubs which are closing.

“It’s a very difficult time for pubs at the moment and there is a supermarket there already.

“If people come to me and say they want me to make representations to support the pub I will listen.”

Phil Gill, campaigns officer for Reading and Mid Berkshire CAMRA, said supermarkets only need to apply for permission to convert a pub if they are making structural changes to the building and the council cannot refuse permission on the grounds they do not want the supermarket.

He said: “CAMRA is sad to see any pub go.

“Any pub can become a well-run community asset, you only need to look at places like the Nag’s Head to see how you can turn around the fortunes of a pub.”

Explaining the decision to sell, Greene King, the pub company which owned the Maidens, said the pub was no longer viable.